1. Field of the Invention
The present general inventive concept relates to a system and method of managing a shared printer with radio frequency identification (RFID), and more particularly, to a system and method of managing a shared printer in which information on an RFID chip is periodically retrieved by an RFID transceiver unit and whether to output a document is determined based on a task permission level held by a user associated with the RFID chip.
2. Description of the Related Art
In radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, information about all processes including manufacturing, distribution, management and consumption of products is stored in chip based RFID tags that are attached to the products to serve as transponders. The RFID tags transmit signals through an antenna. The signals are received by an RFID reader (transceiver) and are processed by an information processing system over at least one network.
A conventional RFID system includes an RFID reading system having an RFID chip (e.g., RFID tag) serving as a transponder (a wireless transceiver that responds to an external signal to automatically return a predetermined signal) storing RFID information (e.g., information about a product to which the RFID tag is attached), an antenna for wireless transmission to and reception from the RFID tag (transponder), an RFID reader for receiving and reading RFID information included in the RFID tag, etc., at least one network over which the RFID reader provides the received and read RFID information from the RFID tag to at least one information processing system, and an RFID processing system having the information processing system performing information processing based on the RFID information from the RFID reader.
RFID systems may be classified into active RFID systems (e.g., powered readable and recordable RFID chips) and passive RFID systems (e.g., unpowered readable-only RFID chips) according to whether the system supplies a voltage to the RFID chip. RFID systems may be classified into low frequency RFID systems (e.g., with low frequency band between 30 KHz and 500 KHz) and high frequency RFID systems (e.g., with high frequency band between 850 MHz and 950 MHz or 2.4 GHz and 2.5 GHz) according to a radio frequency band. The RFID chips can range in size from 1 mm or less for ultra micro RFIDs to 1 cm for battery-installed RFID chips.
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a conventional system for managing a shared printer.
Referring to FIG. 1, the conventional system for managing the shared printer includes a host computer 100, a printer server 110, a managing server 120, a printer 130, and a deposit machine or payment system 140. The system for managing the shared printer may further include a web-based remote managing system.
The host computer 100 stores various programs for enabling users to perform a word-processing task and a client program for a billing system. The host computer 100 allows the user to produce a document and print the produced document on the spot.
The printer server 110 receives printing data from the host computer 100 and controls the printer 130 to print the document.
The managing server 120 controls the printer server 110, which is one of local printer servers. The managing server 120 classifies, stores, and manages user information such as user IDs, passwords, the balance, and printer information such as printer states and printing history.
The printer 130 performs a printing task in response to an output command from the printer server 110.
The deposit machine 140 is used to put money in an account so that a user can perform the printing task using the billing system.
In the conventional system for managing the shared printer, a personal identification number (PIN) is input using the host computer 100 or a separate input device (not shown) to manage the shared printer 130. The PIN can easily be determined by other persons. Thus, a security device for preventing the PIN from being determined by others is required. However, these devices require expensive equipment, such as an iris recognition device and a fingerprint recognition device.